A Purrfect Partnership: Seniors and Newborn Kittens Nurture One Another

Both animal shelters and elderly care facilities do incredible work, answering major demands with often limited resources. And when you put the two together? Compassion simply overflows.

That is certainly the case in this look at the collaboration between Pima Animal Care Center and Catalina Springs Memory Care Center, which facilitates mutually beneficial, loving relationships between newborn kittens and senior humans. Each side of this partnership has particular needs. For the animal shelter, their small staff struggles to keep up with the demands of newborn kittens, who need round-the-clock care, including bottle feedings every few hours. And for the senior center, companionship and simple yet engaging activities are among the residents' ongoing needs. You may see where this is going...

The folks living at Catalina Springs Memory Care Center provide wonderful foster care for Pima's tiny, needy kittens; and the warm furry animals bring joy and even the recollection of lost memories to their human companions. Caretakers from both facilities recognize how uniquely perfect this partnership has been.

"This was by far the most special thing I've ever been involved with," says Pima's Karen Hollish. She also notes that because these tiny cats receive so much love, touch, and socialization during this visits to Catalina Springs, they are extra prepared to adjust to live with their adoptive families. Not all kitties are so lucky, but this partnership is truly one for the ages!

This HooplaHa original video is produced by Tracy Chevrier and shot/edited by David Icely. To see more inspiring videos like this, visit our YouTube channel and our Facebook page.

Debbie Sardine had a revelation in 2006. The house-cleaning business owner had just wrapped up a phone consultation with a woman who said that she couldn't afford the service because she had so many bills from fighting cancer.

Rosie's Place is a community garden where homeless and at-risk women are flourishing. Founded in 1974 as the first women's shelter in the United States, Rosie's Place looks to provide a safe and nurturing environment that helps poor and homeless women maintain their dignity, seek opportunity and find security in their lives. Rosie's Place has a plethora of workshops and opportunities that help women get back on their feet and teach them life skills.

The global refugee crisis is ever-present in the news these days, but the United States has received displaced peoples from all over the world for a long time now. The catering company we'll tell you about today found in this crisis the inspiration for its mission: to train and employ refugee women who are eager to establish new, fulfilling lives in their new homes.

Sometimes celebrities get a bad rap for being self-centered, but not these celebrities! These 3 celebrities are following their passions outside of the music, television, and film industries, and as a result, they're helping others!

Since 2003, the ADA Foundation has offered an annual free program at New York City schools called Give Kids A Smile. The program, New York City Dental Society's largest community-focused event, unites dentists, orthodontists, dental staff, and other volunteers to provide screenings and oral health education to students, their parents, and teachers.

At the age of 24, Shilamida felt that she had found success: she was earning a six-figure income and had a nice boyfriend. But just 2 years, everything seemed to fall apart. Her relationship ended shortly before she discovered she was pregnant. Her father passed away from cancer and her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time; Shilamida found herself as a single mother and was living in poverty. This was rock bottom.

AJ Muss is just 23 years old, but his has been an eventful life so far. As an alpine snowboarder, AJ qualified for this year's Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, competing for Team USA— but that's not the only reason we love his story. We've already seen a number of new young American stars be made on the mountain during these Olympic Games, including fellow snowboarders and gold medalists Chloe Kim and Red Gerard. When AJ competes in the Men's Parallel Giant Slalom beginning later this week, we hope to see him shine as brightly as his teammates have so far.